Sukhoi Su-25 (Frogfoot)

The Sukhoi Su-25 "Frogfoot" series of aircraft harkened back to the successes of the Soviet IL-2 Sturmovik close-support fighter-bombers. The Su-25 was quite a departure from traditional jet aircraft designs of the time and initially beat out three other firms (including Mikoyan) for the right to further development and testing of the system.

The Su-25 came about as intelligence leaks showed an increasing style of guerilla warfare beginning to form, particularly in localized conflicts throughout Southeast Asia. Word had begun spreading that the Americans were also working on a similar aircraft capable of withstanding a great deal of small arms fire and delivering an impressive payload at range - this aircraft would go on to become the hugely successful A-10 Thunderbolt II, or the 'Warthog'.

The Su-25 system began as the T8 Project. The system would have to yield similar crew survivability and allow for a plethora of provisions to be carried ala the American Thunderbolt II. Early results in testing were enough to pursue the design which, by 1981, would be in full production. US reconnaissance satellites would see the machine as early as 1977 however.

Fielded with turbojet engines instead of the more fuel-efficient turbofans readily available for the time, the SU-25 mounted two Soyus/Tumansky's of this type due the higher power available from turbojets at lower altitude levels. Like the A-10 Thunderbolt II, the pilot of the Su-25 would also sit in an armored 'tub' of sorts - this one constructed of titanium. This tub would allow the pilot a good amount of safety when flying in at low levels, protecting him, his vital aircraft subsystems and the cockpit from small arms and even low-caliber cannon fire.

The twin turbojet engines were mounted at the wing roots, far enough apart to allow one to become damaged while keeping the other relatively safe. Eight underwing hardpoints could be utilized and were often fitted with standard drop bombs and rocket pods for the close-support role (the outermost pylons are not designed to carry the weight of heavier drop bombs). A large single rudder and an extended tail section complimented the stable design well.

The Su-25 Frogfoots would not wait long to see frontline combat, being sent off to the battlelines in Afghanistan as soon as they would come off the production lines. From there, the Su-25 would go on to prove its worth - not without several losses in the process - but the design was sound and would give the Frogfoot a reputation of reliability.

In the end, the SU-25 Frogfoot series honored the legacy of the Sturmovik brand through ingenuity and clever design. A stellar service record and modernization programs expect the system to be in full operational status with countries around the globe for quite some time.

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Last Revision: 7/22/2008